Oct 25 Dom Pérignon 1996

Every once in a while some tremendous vinous treat crosses my path. In all honesty, it's probably a little more often than every once in a while, but a taste of this 1996 Dom Pérignon earlier in the week reinstated my belief in all things good and holy.

I was invited by a new friend to a small, casual celebration of her 30th birthday. Another guest brought the Dom, wanting to re-gift and share the little gem that had been sitting in her refrigerator for two years, which a friend had given her, appropriately enough, when she was ordained as a minister of the Episcopal church. Lucky me, lucky us, for the monk was singing that night. A toasty nuttiness - a sign of age - was clear and enticing on the palate, alongside a hint of fresh fruit and a creamy texture that coated the tongue with a blanket of sophisticated flavors that made me feel special, loved, and at peace with the world. Tiny perfect bubbles and a long, lingering finish made me want to savor every mouthful, yet hurry up and take the next swallow for fear of losing what was in the glass. It was a perfect demonstration of what Champange should aspire to. It was a perfect wine.

Dom Pérignon is considered among many to be Champagne's foremost 'prestige cuvée', and was the first wine to be released with that moniker. The concept of 'prestige cuvée' is largely a marketing one. Moët & Chandon released the first bottling with that tag in 1921, named for the French Benedictine monk, Dom Pierre Pérignon. In wine legend, Dom Pérignon was the brethren who turned the Champagne region's mediocre still red wines into the royal sparkling gems we know today. He did, in fact, make tremendous strides in quality by practicing severe pruning methods, hand harvesting and low yields in the abbey's vineyards. He also experimented with blending finished wines, which is now common practice in the region (most Champagnes are a blend of red and white grapes). However, he did not make sparkling wine (on purpose) and it wasn't until the 19th Century that Champagne became the region known for sparkling wine, 200 years after Pérignon's death.

Moët only makes vintage Dom Pérignon and only in the years the gods and weather can agree to produce grapes worthy of a single cuvée. Most Champagnes, marked NV for non-vintage, are a blend of harvests from different years, in part, to maintain a house, or brand, style. It may have begun as a marketing concept, but prestige cuvées generally hold their own in price and quality.

Jancis Robinson says the 1996 Dom will drink well for a couple more years. If you can find one, and a couple extra hundred bucks to buy it, go for it. But make sure you're not in a rush. Relax and open yourself to the experience. You will be wooed. It doesn't matter that you're sharing the experience with a few women you just met, the wine will follow you home, so enduring is the finish.

And I think we can all agree the 30's are so much better than the 20's.

#tbt to my visit to @stony_hill_wine in February and stopped to listen to the creek run down as I drove up.

New episode of Pig&Vine Radio with Chef Kelly Fields of Willa Jean is live! Kelly and I chat about her path to becoming a chef/partner in the John Besh Restaurant Group, how she approaches the plate, and what the ideal kitchen environment looks like. (Hint: she's created it) Read my full intro thru the bio link and listen to the episode on iTunes. @kellyfields @willajeanneworleans 📷: @gabriellegeiselmanmilone #neworleans #winepodcast #podcastlife

Truth has become a word in serious danger of losing its meaning. I don't have to go too deep into commentary on the current political situation to make my point. But it's not just a lunatic president and his minions who are abusing the language. Storysellers, marketers if you will, even we ourselves in our own private lives, are stretching the truth to sell a thing, an idea, a feeling. The wine business is not exempt from such behavior. But should wine stories be true? Read my latest essay (about a ten min read) thru the bio link and share your thoughts.

Revelatory Deliciousness, that point where a wine surpasses easy drinkability and pleasure, and ignites a flash of inspiration or self-discovery. It's personal and often private, though the experience is truly democratic, available to anyone willing to accept it. A simple syrah dominate blend from France's Luberon region recently did this for me. So much Deliciousness after a long period of illness induced palate fatigue, like a coma, everything short of finish and insipid in flavor. More thoughts and notes through my bio link. Bastide du Claux Malacare 2014 from Rosenthal, purchased @keifeandco in #neworleans #luberon #rosenthalwines #rhonevalley #sylvainmorey

That's how we do @bacchanalwine on Rosé Fest 2017. #ballin #winning #txakolina #ameztoi

Pink on pink on pink @bacchanalwine rosé fest 2017. 😊💕

So excited about this new book! I've gotten lazy over the past few years (cooking for one is so much work) and as a result, I've lost my edge on technique and pairing flavors. But this lovely tome by @ciaosamin has me curious to get back in the kitchen, and I've long been a fan of @wendymac art. #saltfatacidheat

Monday Alice. #nofilter #nofucksgiven

Gettin' caught up on this stormy Sunday. Great article about Pauline "Pauli" Murray in the April 17 issue. #heroine #badasslady #newyorkerinthewild #sunday #neworleans #catsofinstagram

Hanging out at my fave wine store @keifeandco for a few days, pushing the quality vino onto the good people of New Orleans. 😎🍷🍾

In the newest podcast episode, I chat with the clever and delightful mind behind @80harvests, @amanda_wine. She's traveling to over 40 countries to witness 80 harvests and record what makes each region so unique. We also talk about wine journalism, literature and fave childhood films. Read the blog post thru bio link or go straight to iTunes and download Pig&Vine Radio. #podcast #podcastlife #winepodcast

One of the more interesting wines I've had in a while: 14% viognier, 83% syrah, 3% pinot noir from Willamette Valley, OR. The nod to Northern Rhône comes thru nicely, and the dab of pinot adds some freshness, I suppose. Strong smokey meat syrah game= ❤️#biggiohamina #willamettevalley #Oregon wine

My herb garden is thriving and the lavender is in bloom. So nice to have space to grow things again! #marigny #neworleans #nola #herbs #herbgarden

Have you caught up on all the Pig&Vine Radio episodes? Check it out on iTunes and leave us a review, particularly if it's a nice one. Link in bio will lead you where you want to go, then follow the sound of my melodious voice to discover the secrets of musicians, artists, writers and even an ER doc, or two. #podcastlife #winepodcast #neworleans #winelife

Wine Lovers, Get Woke. "The cheapest way to grow grapes? Eliminate risk by relying on herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers and mechanization to ensure, barring natural disaster or extreme climate conditions, a crop size that makes the bean counters smile and wink. Then there’s the matter of water usage, energy and labor costs, and working conditions. Given what we know today, indulging those practices to save a few dollars at the register carries a strong, ethically sour odor." New essay on the blog about why industrialized, chemically manipulated plonk isn't doing you any favors, by price or flavor. Link in bio.